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<title>Prompt #32 (90-Prompt Challenge) by GlitterBombLove</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909791">Prompt #32 (90-Prompt Challenge)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterBombLove/pseuds/GlitterBombLove'>GlitterBombLove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompts - 90 Challenge [32]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Flash Fic, Prompt Fic, Vignette, teen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:22:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909791</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterBombLove/pseuds/GlitterBombLove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt #32<br/>January 21, 2021<br/>Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary</p><p>Prompt Idea: Hard Lessons<br/>Source:  Original</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompts - 90 Challenge [32]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052597</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Prompt #32 (90-Prompt Challenge)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the school bell rang and ended the day, Matthew jostled through the crowded hallways to find his best friend. He knew Drew's schedule by heart and his friend's last class was Biology (which Drew was failing) in the east wing. As Matthew sped down the hall,  anxiety gripped him. He was running after his friend because he suspected Drew was ghosting him. Drew quit returning all of Matthew's texts and quit stopping by Matthew's home so suddenly. Every time Matthew visited by Drew's house, he was gone. </p><p>Matthew missed Drew terribly. He needed his best friend now more than ever. He wanted to feel normal and good again.  </p><p>Matthew spotted his friend, a head taller than the other students, walking towards the school exit. He chased after Drew, calling his name out. </p><p>"How's it going?" Matthew asked, quickening his pace and catching up with his friend. Was it his imagination or was Drew walking faster? And was Drew actually recoiling his neck away and nervously stepping away, so they were no longer side by side? "I haven't been seeing you around."</p><p>"It's going," Drew said, casually. He looked down and refused to make eye contact. "Can't complain."</p><p>"Is everything -- you know, cool between us... I mean we're good, right?" Matthew asked. "You've been kind of ... gone." </p><p>"I've been busy." Drew blurted. "And you've been acting really strange. Really strange."</p><p>Matthew stared at his friend in disbelief. He said quietly, "You already know, my mom...died a month ago."</p><p>"Of I know course. I'm sorry," Drew mumbled. He halted abruptly and started walking in the opposite direction. "Look, I think I forgot something in my locker. It's homework and I better get it. You go on and catch the bus without me.."</p><p>Matthew watched his friend walk away.  He knew Drew was lying. His chest was tightening again and his heart felt like something was wringing it. It was sore and achy at the same time. He wanted to scream and cry like a baby, "You're acting like having dead mother a disease and it's contagious! It's not catchy!"</p><p>But he said nothing and simply watched Drew stroll away. His heart felt like raw meat. It was bad enough a month ago, he was punched in the face with the lesson: anyone you treasured can be taken away from you. He felt the sole pupil to hard lessons
.</p>
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